Greg Clark, Amber Rudd and David Gauke issue Brexit delay warning

Three cabinet ministers have warned that they will vote to delay Brexit if parliament does not approve a deal soon.

Business secretary Greg Clark, work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd and justice secretary David Gauke told the Daily Mail that they would defy the prime minister and vote to extend Article 50 if no deal is agreed.

Parliament is due to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit policy on Wednesday, and an amendment that would delay Brexit beyond the 29 March deadline date is expected to be considered.

“It would be better to seek to extend Article 50 and delay our date of departure rather than crash out of the European Union on March 29,” the senior ministers said today.

The cabinet ministers warned that if the hardline Tory European Research Group (ERG) do not back a deal they will join other MPs in fighting to delay the Brexit date.

They also warned that if the UK crashed out of the EU without a deal it would damage the economy, defence and risk the break-up of the UK.

“Beyond the next few days there simply will not be time to agree a deal and complete all necessary legislation before March 29,” they added.

‘It is time that many of our Conservative parliamentary colleagues in the ERG recognised that Parliament will stop a disastrous No Deal Brexit on March 29. If that happens, they will have no one to blame but themselves for delaying Brexit.’